worry

[ wur-ee, wuhr-ee ]

/ ˈwɜr i, ˈwʌr i /

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR worry ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), wor·ried, wor·ry·ing.

to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.

to move with effort: an old car worrying uphill.

verb (used with object), wor·ried, wor·ry·ing.

to torment with cares, anxieties, etc.; trouble; plague.

to seize, especially by the throat, with the teeth and shake or mangle, as one animal does another.

to harass by repeated biting, snapping, etc.

noun, plural wor·ries.

a worried condition or feeling; uneasiness or anxiety.

a cause of uneasiness or anxiety; trouble.

act of worrying.

Fox Hunting. the action of the hounds in tearing to pieces the carcass of a fox.

Verb Phrases

worry along/through, Informal. to progress or succeed by constant effort, despite difficulty: to worry through an intolerable situation.

Nearby words

Idioms

no worries, Informal. Don’t be troubled; it is of no concern: If you can’t make it to the party, no worries.Also not to worry.

Origin of worry

before 900; Middle English weryen, werwen, wyrwyn to strangle, bite, harass, Old English wyrgan to strangle; cognate with German würgen

SYNONYMS FOR worry

3. tease, harry, hector, badger, disquiet. 6. apprehension, solicitude, disquiet, misgiving, fear.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR worry ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formswor·ri·er, nounwor·ri·less, adjectivewor·ry·ing·ly, adverb

Synonym study

3. Worry, annoy, harass all mean to disturb or interfere with someone's comfort or peace of mind. To worry is to cause anxiety, apprehension, or care: to worry one's parents. To annoy is to vex or irritate by continued repetition of interferences: to annoy the neighbors. Harass implies long-continued worry and annoyance: Cares of office harass a president. 6. See concern.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for worry

Still, I worry that a simple traffic stop could have tragic consequences.
What Would Happen if I Got in White Cop’s Face?|Goldie Taylor|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the authorities also worry that the December fires are just the beginning.
Italy’s Terror on the Tracks|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I wish this was the last time I had to worry about hunger and bombs.
Has the Kurdish Victory at Sinjar Turned the Tide of ISIS War?|Niqash|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is a well-documented phenomenon which does not worry specialists.
Uh Oh: Ebola Vaccine Trials Stop|Leigh Cowart|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And I worry that the world will have very mixed feelings about him.
Shocking New Reveals From Sony Hack: J. Law, Pitt, Clooney, and Star Wars|William Boot|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Great activity and worry is needless—it is poison to the soul.
Shandygaff|Christopher Morley
"To find out who they are is what is going to worry us," added Benton.
The Slayer Of souls|Robert Chambers
“Well, don't you worry, Aunt Jane,” said Francis in a hearty voice.
Jane Field|Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
But we would have time enough to worry about that when we discovered it for ourselves.
One Way Out|William Carleton
But this was more the result of worry than of physical wear and tear.
The Enemies of Women|Vicente Blasco Ibez

British Dictionary definitions for worry

worry

/ (ˈwʌrɪ) /

verb -ries, -rying or -ried

to be or cause to be anxious or uneasy, esp about something uncertain or potentially dangerous

(tr) to disturb the peace of mind of; botherdon't worry me with trivialities

(intr; often foll by along or through) to proceed despite difficulties

(intr often foll by away) to struggle or workto worry away at a problem

(tr) (of a dog, wolf, etc) to lacerate or kill by biting, shaking, etc

(when intr, foll by at) to bite, tear, or gnaw (at) with the teetha dog worrying a bone

(tr) to move as specified, esp by repeated pushesthey worried the log into the river

(tr) to touch or poke repeatedly and idly

obsolete to choke or cause to choke

not to worry informal you need not worry

noun plural -ries

a state or feeling of anxiety

a person or thing that causes anxiety

an act of worrying

no worries informal an expression used to express agreement or to convey that something is proceeding or has proceeded satisfactorily; no problem

Derived Formsworrying, adjectiveworryingly, adverb

Word Origin for worry

Old English wyrgan; related to Old Frisian wergia to kill, Old High German wurgen (German (er) würgen to strangle), Old Norse virgill, urga rope

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for worry

worry

Old English wyrgan "to strangle," from West Germanic *wurgijanan (cf. Middle Dutch worghen, Dutch worgen, Old High German wurgen, German würgen "to strangle," Old Norse virgill "rope"), from PIE *wergh- "to turn" (see wring). Related: Worrisome; worrying.

The oldest sense was obsolete in English after c.1600; meaning "annoy, bother, vex," first recorded 1670s, developed from that of "harass by rough or severe treatment" (1550s), as of dogs or wolves attacking sheep. Meaning "to cause mental distress or trouble" is attested from 1822; intransitive sense of "to feel anxiety or mental trouble" is first recorded 1860.

worry

1804, from worry (v.).

worry

verb (used without object), wor·ried, wor·ry·ing.

verb (used with object), wor·ried, wor·ry·ing.

noun, plural wor·ries.

Verb Phrases

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Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of worry

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for worry

worry

verb -ries, -rying or -ried

noun plural -ries

Word Origin for worry

worry

worry